Exploring, drilling and completing hydrocarbon and other wells are generally complicated, time consuming and ultimately very expensive endeavors. As a result, over the years well architecture has become more sophisticated where appropriate in order to help enhance access to underground hydrocarbon reserves. For example, as opposed to wells of limited depth, it is not uncommon to find hydrocarbon wells exceeding 30,000 feet in depth. Furthermore, as opposed to remaining entirely vertical, today's hydrocarbon wells often include deviated or horizontal sections aimed at targeting particular underground reserves.
While such well depths and architecture may increase the likelihood of accessing underground hydrocarbon reservoirs, other challenges are presented in terms of well management and the maximization of hydrocarbon recovery from such wells. For example, during the life of a well, a variety of well access applications may be performed within the well with a host of different tools or measurement devices. However, providing downhole access to wells of such challenging architecture may require more than simply dropping a wireline into the well with the applicable tool located at the end thereof. Indeed, a variety of isolating, perforating and stimulating applications may be employed in conjunction with completions operations.
In the case of perforating, different zones of the well may be outfitted with packers and other hardware, in part for sake of zonal isolation. Thus, wireline or other conveyance may be directed to a given zone and a perforating gun employed to create perforation tunnels through the well casing. As a result, perforations may be formed into the surrounding formation, ultimately enhancing recovery therefrom.
The described manner of perforating requires first that the perforating gun be loaded with a number of shaped charges that provide the energy to form the noted perforation. Specifically, an explosive pellet of compressed material is provided in a casing and may be individually loaded into the gun as a shaped charge. Thus, once detonated, each shaped charge may perform similar to a ballistic jet in forming an adjacent perforation. Further, this manner of operation is enhanced by a liner that is placed over the explosive pellet. That is, the pellet is secured within the cavity of a casing and provided with a liner thereover so as to enhance and tailor the performance of the fully assembled shaped charge.
Unfortunately, while fairly safe and effective for use downhole in the well, providing the end user at the oilfield with a multitude of shaped charges may present a challenging and hazardous undertaking. For example, handling and transporting a conventional bulk explosive presents a certain level of inherent hazards. However, once the same materials are fully assembled and incorporated into a large number of shaped charges, the hazards increase dramatically. That is, unlike a single bulk supply of explosive, each and every shaped charge is individually enhanced with a liner and tailored for effective damaging detonation.
A variety of costly and time consuming efforts are generally undertaken in order to deal with the increased hazards presented by the handling and transport of shaped charges as noted above. This may include the use of specialized packaging such as transport carriers that are separately and uniquely tailored for accommodating each different type of shaped charge. The end result is that a variety of different sized and shaped carriers may be utilized in a given shipment. Once more, each carrier is separately housed within a thick barrier structure so as to account for the possibility of shaped charge detonation even in spite of the specialized carrier usage.
Setting aside the practical safety efforts that are generally taken as noted above, an added level of effort must also be dedicated to regulatory compliance. That is, not only is a significant amount of time and expense dedicated to ensuring safety, a significant amount of added delay is presented in the form of ensuring this compliance. So, for example, shipping of shaped charges generally is accompanied by time consuming paperwork and inspection.
Of course, all of the added effort is understandable given the hazards involved. Further, where an operator at an oilfield seeks to form perforations downhole, a viable alternative to a perforating gun loaded with shaped charges remains unavailable. Thus, as a practical matter, the effort, expense and delay presented to the shaped charge manufacturer and/or the end user remains largely unavoidable.